Casting trimming



K. F. DAILEY CASTING TRIMMING Sept. 22, 1936.

Filed Feb. 1'7, 1934 INVENTOR KARL E DAILEY Patented Sept. 22, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE CASTING TRIlVflVIlNG Karl F. Dailey, Cleveland, Ohio Application February 17, 1934, Serial No. 711,802 6 Claims. (c1. 2943) This invention'relates to production of steel ingots or the like by means including a centrifugal casting machine such as those disclosed in my copending applications, Serial No. 680,564, filed July 15, 1933 and another filed of even date herewith. The objects of the invention are generally to provide an arrangement for producing a straight clean ingot ready to be rolled into billets or the like, from the curved productof the castingv machine, in a most efiicient manner, particularly as to numberand'sco'pe of operations required, heat losses and other considerations which will become apparent.

More specifically an object of the invention is to make novel provision for'straightening of the casting and for trimming its scrap crop part from the remaining metal;

The exact natureof this invention together with further objects and advantages thereof will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is aatypical vsectionof casting; Fig. 2 is a plan layout view of a form of apparatus which might be employed in practicing 'the invention, showing. below the break indicated, complete apparatus for a single casting, and thereabove additional apparatusfor another similar casting; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail in vertical section, as in the plane of line 33, Fig. 2, views being of aconventionalized nature.

According to the invention, a casting of ring form is provided, by centrifugal apparatus, which may be such as that disclosed in my said copend ing applications. The castingis preferably an endless or continuous ring for simplicity of mold, ease of handling, and, speedand simplicity of subsequent operations; but it may be, split at one location at its periphery to be an integral whole but without endlesscontinuity, or indeed, the moldmight be so arranged that the casting constitute only an arcuate section substantially less than 360 in extent.

At any rate, and'particularly where'the ring form is endless, the casting will have certain shrinkage during cooling, and due to such shrinkage, its inner peripheral part-will be subjected to compressive stresses from its outer peripheral part. Such ,stresses in the casting considered, may havegbeen enhanced by the application of mechanical pressure to the inner peripherybefore complete solidification, as by means fullyillus trated and described in the latter of my said copending applications.

twelve or more feet in diameter. Obviously, a casting so made will have a scrap crop part at its inner periphery.

A feature of this invention is that the casting be of such characteristics and typical sec tion that the scrap crop'shall be arelatively thin one, of greater radial dimensionand lesser longitudinal dimension relative to the casting axis than has heretofore been the practice in the art. Several sections having such desired characteristics are illustrated in my first said copending application, but onlya single one of elementary nature is here indicated, as in Fig. l, at A, A, Fig; 2, and A, Fig. 3. This casting form is obviously, in characteristic section, thinner at its inner radial extremity than at zones of greater radius.

, According to this invention, after such a casting has been produced it is removed from'the mold as-soon as possible after its solidification, and as soon thereafter as possible the operations to be described are performed thereupon; so that all subsequent operations are completed while a major or very substantialamount of the cast-v ing heat is retained, whereby heat losses are avoided and much of the necessary workingforce is reduced.

- If thecasting has been produced in the form of 'an endless ring, the scrap crop may be removed by a turning operation,'involvinga cutting tool moving concentrically relative to the ring. Obviously the work of thus trimming off the crop will be relatively light, corresponding with the relative thinness of the crop.-

My preferred practice is, however, that the trimming of the scrap crop follow other operations. a V

The first of these operations, following the removal of the casting from the mold, is to split thecasting if it has not been produced in split form. For this purpose, a table or platform I may be provided, having vertically extending rollers 2 arranged to locate the casting on the table or platform, and preferably having radially disposed horizontally extending rollers 3 on which the casting will bear. Associated with the table I is a hot saw generally indicated at 4 and having a blade 5 adjustable in the suitable clearance slot indicated in the table I, for slitting the casting positioned on the table by the rolls 2. The saw-adjustment is here indicated as pivotal about the center line shown. k The next step is to open the ring sufliciently to permit one end of it to somewhat overhang the other; end. 'For this purpose, as here indicated, a

' tial rocking action effective between the rolls. 9 which latter will move somewhat along the ring cylinder G'may be provided on the table having the rod 1 of its piston carrying a pivotally mounted cross arm 8, which cross arm carries at its ends the rolls 9. Obviously an outward stroke of the piston will effect spreading of the ring as indicated in Fig. 2, the rolls 2 within the ring cooperating to prevent bodily motion of the ring. I

Before the opening operation the ring is adjusted on the rolls 3 generally about its own axis to bring: one end of the split ring to be engaged by the rolls-9, and as, the rolls 9 move against the ring to open it, the head 8 will provide a differenas the piston advances; so that, though the-ring because of its heat be somewhat soft-,its opening operation will produce no sharp bend therein.

After opening, the ring isagainaxially ad justed upon the rolls 3 to assume the position of ring A, Fig. 2, with its opened end adjacent a; fixed stop sho'e: II]; It will be appreciated that the described rotational adjustments of the ring upon the rolls 3 may be accomplished either by a crane-or the like, or might be accomplished by drive of the rlls3.

' I The shoe IIl positionsthe ring end immediately ahead oftwopairs of rolls II, both driven as by thec'onventionally indicated driving'motor IZ'a through gear box I2.- These rolls are of'a form corresponding with the sectional shape of the casting, to engage the casting between them and ,has actuating connection with the piston rod I, as

by thelink I6 below the table. Once the casting is in th'epo'sitionof A, Fig. 2, the cylinder 6 is reversed; pulling the bulldozer I'3 up against the castingto jam itsopen end between the first pair ofrolls I I. n It will be appreciated that the cylinder 6' isdouble-acting, preferably actuated by hydraulic pressure, under the control of the operator. Once-the rolls II ha've-taken hol'd of'the end of the casting, they advance the casting from the table I with an unwinding effect, and into the first pair of a train of rolls generally indicated at IT, all driven on axes at right angles to the rolls NE The first pair of rolls Il may be similar to the rolls: II, that is, need merely have driving effect upon the casting. The succeeding rolls of train IT, however, are'p'rovided with pinching or cutting edges I8, as indicated in Fig. 3', of progressively greater depth as indicated in'Fig. 2. Thecutting edges are disposed to're'move from the casting as the casting passes through the train off rolls, the scrap crop which was formerly at the inner radius of the casting and now as the casting is straightened, lies along one side edge thereof. I The last pair of rolls I'I need comprise simply a single-cutter alone, as-indicated in Fig 2, which, cutter will comprise a shearing edge by which thescrap crop willbe completely removed. The casting thus emerges from the train of rollfsI T, straightened and stripped of its scrap crap; and still retaining a substantial'amount of heat from the mold whence it came. It will be appreciated that in practice the entire process described takes place in a very few minutes, the progress of the casting itself through the rolls being very rapid once it is commenced. i Since'iii i's preferable to" produce two ring castin'gs simultaneously thecasting machine, preferablystlre tablei'l is made. of double length to accommodate two castings at once, as indicated in Fig. 2, the supplementary part of the table constituting essentially a duplicate of the part already specifically described. For clearance reasons it is preferable that the second hot saw do be set to one side as indicated. A corresponding stop shoe Illa and an additional set of feeding and straightening rolls Ila are provided for the second ring, the rolls being driven as by the gear head indicated conventionally at I2b from the motor I2a. By this dual arrangement, the second casting may be fed into its rolls Ila. to immediately follow the first casting, that is, as the first casting is unrolled from its circular form and straightened, and its following end passes between. its straightening rolls II, immediately thereafter the second casting on the second part of the-table, and which has meanwhile been split sociated with said table for opening an end of said casting byexpansive forces. effective within the ring confines and for providing a feeding advance of said endand comprising a reversible actuator and a pair of members to be actuated thereby, one'within said ring for opening the latter and one outside said ring for feeding advance of the opened. ring end.

2. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a table, roller means'thereon arranged to receive and position a ring casting and to permit rotative adjustment of the latter, means for splitting said casting in supported position, and means associated with said table for opening an end of said casting and for providing a feeding advance of said end and comprising a reversible fluid actuatOr and a pair of members to be actuated thereby, one within said ring for opening the latter and the other a shoe outside said ring floatingly mojunted for feeding advance of the opened ring en 3. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a table adapted to receiveand support a plurality of ring castings in horizontally spaced relation and. to permit independent rotative adjustment of said castings, means associated with said table for'spl'ittingsaid castings, means for opening the ends'of said castings, and means for providing feeding. advance of said ends in a common direction, whereby said castings may be split and opened individually and received successively from said table by a single stationary unit for performing subsequent operations upon said casting.

4. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a table" adapted toreceive and support a plurality of ring castings in horizontally spaced relation and to permit independent rotative adjustment of said castings, means associated with said table for splitting said' castings, means for opening the ends of said castings, means for providing feeding advance of said ends in a common direction, and means for straightening the said ends as the latter are so advanced.

5. Apparatus of the class described comprising a table adapted to support a split ring casting, means extending from said table adjacent opposite inner portions of the casting, and including stationary means at one side of the casting, means at the other side of the casting and mounted for movement toward and from said stationary means, and power means for adjusting the movable means from the stationary means to open the casting.

6. Apparatus of the class describedcomprising a table adapted to support a split ring casting,

10 means extending from said table adjacent opposite inner portions of the casting, and including stationary means at one side of the casting, means at the other side of the casting and mounted for movement toward and from said stationary means, and power means for adjusting the movable means from the stationary means to open the casting, said means comprising rollers spaced circumferentially of the casting to provide distribution of the opening forces.

KARL F. DAILEY. 

